Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. He seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and tied him up for a thousand years. The angel then threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.)
The assumption and 'orthodox' opinion of course is that this is either a future event, OR it happened when Christ rose. But there's another possibility to consider:
“At that time Michael, the great prince who watches over your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress unlike any other from the nation’s beginning
up to that time. But at that time your own people, all those whose names are found written in the book,
will escape. Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake— some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.
“But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will dash about, and knowledge will increase.
They hung him on a cross and for about three hours, darkness came over the land...
Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised. (They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.)
*Note the commentary, which distinguishes when this happened.
When will this happen?
He said, “Go, Daniel. For these matters are closed and sealed until the time of the end.
Jesus-- there on the cross, declared-- "It is finished" and then came the end. His death and then with his resurrection, his reign began, but PRIOR to his death and resurrection-- Satan had been loosed and the battle was waged between the two of them during his ministry.
It was AFTER the period of a thousand years had ended that these dead came back to life and his reign with them began.
The assumption and 'orthodox' opinion of course is that this is either a future event, OR it happened when Christ rose. But there's another possibility to consider:
“At that time Michael, the great prince who watches over your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress unlike any other from the nation’s beginning
up to that time. But at that time your own people, all those whose names are found written in the book,
will escape. Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake— some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.
“But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will dash about, and knowledge will increase.
They hung him on a cross and for about three hours, darkness came over the land...
Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised. (They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.)
*Note the commentary, which distinguishes when this happened.
When will this happen?
He said, “Go, Daniel. For these matters are closed and sealed until the time of the end.
Jesus-- there on the cross, declared-- "It is finished" and then came the end. His death and then with his resurrection, his reign began, but PRIOR to his death and resurrection-- Satan had been loosed and the battle was waged between the two of them during his ministry.
It was AFTER the period of a thousand years had ended that these dead came back to life and his reign with them began.
